


Where have you been, Riku?

by ll4nce



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Dysfunctional Relationships, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Multi, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-04
Updated: 2019-10-04
Packaged: 2020-11-23 11:40:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20891513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ll4nce/pseuds/ll4nce
Summary: Two words and suddenly Riku has to deal with everything falling apart.





	Where have you been, Riku?

**Author's Note:**

> Update October 6th: It has been brought to my attention that this story has more impact when reading it first. When looking over my works I sort of agreed, so this one is now part 1.

_"If you hurt Sora or make him cry in any way, I. Will. Destroy. You. Do we understand each other?"_

Back then, Riku had stared up at Vanitas, unimpressed. Sora was his best friend, why should he ever make him sad? 

He has been a little foolish, blind to the world. Sometimes you don't hurt friends on purpose. Sometimes you hurt them for their own good.

Or at least that is what Riku kept telling himself as he rejected Sora, watching his hopeful smile fade from his face.

"I'm sorry," he said, reaching for his best friend, but Sora jerked back almost violently, shaking in the suddenly cold wind.

"No, no it's okay," he stuttered, taking a few steps back. "I… I understand. Not, uh, everyone likes boys. While being a boy. Don't worry I get it. I'm sorry, I'm the one who's weird not you-"

"No, Sora-" Riku started to interrupt, but Sora shook his head, hair whipping back and forth in the frantic movement. His eyes looked glassy and his breath was hitching. Riku knew that face too well. He had seen it way too often when they were kids. Like when Sora tried climbing a tree to impress Kairi and fell down. Or back then when Vanitas had forbidden him to see Riku and Kairi (though he relented at Sora's face).

It was Sora's "I'm-really-close-to-tears" face. He was about to cry. Oh God, Riku made him cry.

"I… I gotta go! I'll see you around Riku, bye!" And then he ran off. Riku stood at the spot they had met for a second, dumbfounded before all the wheels in his head finally clicked and he started chasing after his best friend. But by then, Sora had been long gone - he was always the faster runner of them, even though he had way less stamina - so Riku tried to call him. Text him. He even called Vanitas, but all he got was silence before the other end hung up. 

He feared Vanitas, but he feared not being friends with Sora more. He ran to Sora's home and rang up a storm. Vanitas had to get annoyed and open up someday. 

And true to his predictions, the door opened. But behind it was not Vanitas, but Ventus.

"Go away," Ventus said, voice so cold it honored his name. "He doesn't want to see you."

"But-" Riku started but to his surprise, meek and shy Ven, who liked to study and was nice to not upset anyone, who bottled everything up to not worry anyone, decked him. Right on the face, on the right cheek, with the balled fist. Riku, shocked about the events unfolding, lost his balance and fell to the ground, for a second the only thing he was seeing was the cloudless blue sky.

He sat up with a groan, holding his cheek. His wide eyes met Ventus's… no, that wasn't Ventus. Now that Riku got a closer look, that was Roxas. He mistook him for his twin because he wore things typically Ventus would wear, but the way he held himself up, confident and assertive, showed that the one in front of him was actually Roxas.

"You should be glad Vanitas isn't here," Roxas said, glaring in a way only Roxas could. "He would kill you. We both know I'm not kidding."

Riku gulped. 

"Leave before he comes back or I can't guarantee for anything," Roxas threatened and then he threw the door closed, leaving Riku in a confused daze until he realized Vanitas would actually try to kill him if he heard of it. He got up and left.

Further attempts to contact Sora where futile.

And on the next day, it became clear the things between them would stay a little bit weird. At least, for a while.

Things between him and Sora got really awkward. Sora avoided him at any cost, much to Kairi's confusion. He hid behind Ventus and Roxas the entire day, at lunch sending Ventus to give him a single message.

"Sorry, but he needs time," the blond had drawled, glancing at Riku's sad attempt to patch himself up after Roxas's punch.

"How did that happen, did you get punched by Sora?" He asked, almost amused.

So the twin at Sora's yesterday really was Roxas.

"Ven!" Someone called and the blond in front of him turned his head.

"I'm coming!" He shouted back. "Well, see you around Riku. Hope you and Sora make up again." 

Ventus went to rejoin his brother and Sora, the three of them walking to presumably the next class. God Riku hoped he and Sora made up as well.

\---

They never did. Sora stayed distant. He got closer and closer with Roxas and Ventus and kept pushing Riku away. He never responded to Riku's messages ever, and sometimes Riku had to contact him over Kairi or Ventus. Roxas still seemed angry at him for hurting Sora, so he didn't risk speaking to that blond.

Riku knew that sometimes friends drifted apart and that you can't help it, but his heart still ached when he thought about never hanging out with Sora to play video games again, never eating ice cream together again, never laughing together again.

He tried to get back in contact with Sora, he really did. But no matter how many times he sent messages to Sora over Kairi and Ventus, he never got an answer. If he showed up at Sora's home… well, Vanitas never killed him, but he has slammed the door into his face more times than Riku could count.

The only time he saw Sora was at get-togethers with their entire friend group and even then, Sora stayed with Roxas and Ventus all the time. Avoided answering Riku's questions. Sometimes outright pretending he didn't exist. He saw pity in the twins' eyes. 

It took almost the entire year until Sora started warming back up to him. During that year, Ventus and Vanitas somehow became a couple - more than one time that is. Their relationship was explosive, in a way no one would suspect from Ven of all people. They broke up and came back together so many times Riku lost count somewhere around the 11th time. It was like Vanitas was able to awaken a hidden, darker side of Ven - while Ven did absolutely nothing to keep Vanitas down. _They just brought out the worst of each other,_ Riku mused. But they did also make each other happy, and who was he to disregard their feelings for each other?

Sora had told him while he was worried about how their relationship was. That he was worried one of them would be hurt beyond repair. There was a partner project at science class - and before Riku could even look for a partner, Sora had slid in the seat next to him, looking at him with uncertainty and smiling. Riku welcomed him back with open arms. In fact, because they had so much catching up to do, they almost failed the project. Only almost, though - Sora had looked so happy when they managed to finish it. It made Riku smile as well. He missed this.

Their relationship was still a bit rocky, but it continued getting better and better. Sora slowly came back into his life, as he had never been missing.

But then he and Kairi started dating.

It was a warm summer day when she confessed to him and Riku, who had liked her for a long time, had told her he reciprocated her feelings. Their first date was in a cafe, where Riku bought her all the sweets she liked.

She had laughed and smiled which in turn made Riku's heart flutter and filled his chest with a warm and fuzzy feeling he couldn't quite place. Terra had laughed and called it love.

He liked seeing her happy. He wondered if he did too much to see her smile sometimes, but it always felt worth it when she did. Kairi, in turn, showed him other forms of affection - soft kisses, hugs, touches. They made date plans together, visited popular spots, spent time laughing.

She made him happy just the way he made her happy.

A month after they had started dating, Kairi knocked up a storm on his door. He was still sleeping, having no plans for this weekend. Consequently grumpy, he threw the door open and was tackled with an "oof" by his girlfriend.

Sora and Kairi had a horrendous argument. 

_"He called me a traitor," _Kairi had wept. _"He said he'll never forgive me for this. I don't know what to do, Riku! I want to stay your girlfriend but I want to stay friends with Sora too…"_

_"Just… just give him some time. I'm sure he'll forgive you," _he had said and Kairi calmed down a little. They spent the rest of the day together, cuddled up on Riku's couch in a warm blanket and watching anything but Disney movies.

Sora started ignoring Kairi after that. Any progress Riku had with being friends with him again was reset. He did not respond to their messages or calls and when they tried talking to him during school, Sora looked right through them like they were air. Riku, who knew it was useless to try to talk to Sora from his former experiences, didn't bother with it - he decided to just wait until Sora was ready to approach him again. Kairi continued trying to talk to him, apologize, anything. It was heartbreaking to see her keep trying.

Ventus pulled them aside on a Friday and looked around like he was making sure no one was watching. He sighed as he confirmed and looked both of them straight in the eye, cold gaze burning into them. "Look, I need you to stop trying. You're hurting him. Give him some space."

"But-" Kairi started to protest, but Riku put a hand on her shoulder, giving her his most reassuring smile.

"He's right Kairi. Sora will approach us when he's ready." Ventus smiled and nodded.

They parted ways. During the weekend, Riku did his best to reassure Kairi every time she was overcome with doubt - they spent most of their time together, lazing around and watching movies while cuddling.

Coming school day Kairi felt sick so she stayed home. Riku made his way to the school gates, thinking about visiting Kairi with some treats later, when a fist slammed into his face, exactly on the same spot Roxas had hit him a year ago. Riku, caught out of the blue, stumbled and hit the ground. Some stones on it dug into his skin as he sat up with a groan, holding his cheek. He stared up at his attacker in bewilderment. Vanitas. 

Vanitas inherited golden eyes from his and Sora's father. Riku felt overwhelmed every time he stared into them - they were glinting like lightning was about to shoot out of them, intense and loaded with obvious feelings. The saying how the eye was the window to the soul was especially true for Vanitas. He wore his feelings on the sleeve, as Sora did, but in a completely different way.

Right now, Riku was able to see anger, hatred, resentment, fury in the golden orbs, underlying a bit of protectiveness and worry.

"I'm gonna kill you," Vanitas said. Despite his eyes betraying all of his emotions, the rest of his face and his voice were blank, like he felt nothing at all.

So Vanitas was here to destroy him as he threatened all those years ago. Riku wanted to stand up and defend himself. Tell Vanitas off. But then a thought struck his mind. Maybe he deserved this. He did hurt Sora pretty badly. His rejection maybe couldn't be helped, but he started dating Kairi while he was still recovering. He should've told her to wait. Told her to talk about it with Sora first. Instead, he didn't even think about Sora when he accepted her confession. Man, he was a crappy friend. 

With those thoughts clouding his mind, he didn't move a muscle when Vanitas approached him. He sat on the ground, accepting whatever Vanitas saw as fit. He met the other's eyes - if glares could kill Riku would've died at least nine times.

"Stop, Vani!" A flash of blond hair. Before Riku could even blink, a familiar blond was holding Vanitas back, stopping him from advancing further. Ventus.

"Let go of me! He needs to pay for what he did to Sora!" Ah, so this really was about Sora.

"Vani, you need to calm down. It's not his fault and you know it!" But what if it was? Maybe he should've tried to talk to Sora after all.

Riku expected Vanitas to protest further, but to his horror - and probably everyone else's (a crowd had formed to watch them) - Vanitas just started crying. Vanitas, who was known for being trouble. Vanitas, who got into fights all the time. Vanitas, who didn't bother being polite to any teacher or adult. Vanitas, who burst into tears in the middle of the school courtyard for a reason known to Riku. Ventus hugged him close and whispered something in a reassuring tone Riku couldn't quite catch. He wiped his boyfriend's tears away and gently led him away from the scene. Vanitas let himself be led away without any protests, only his surprisingly soft sobs heard in the deathly silent courtyard. The crowd parted to let the couple through without any words necessary. Even after Vanitas and Ventus were out of sight, the crowd stared after them, still so silent one could hear the wind moving the grass blades.

Riku barely noticed someone pulling him up to his feet. "C'mon let's skip. I'll explain." 

Roxas.

He went with Roxas, school the last thing on his mind.

They left the school grounds. Riku wasn't even sure where they were going. He just continued following Roxas in complete silence. Roxas also didn't speak. They reached the beach, mostly empty this early in the morning and during late fall. Sora, Kairi, and Riku have been here a lot when they were kids, but ever since Sora had told him his feelings here, Riku had been avoiding this place unconsciously. Never had he taken Kairi here for a date and well, he had not been hanging out with Sora.

Roxas let himself drop on the soft sand with a sigh, parting the space next to him in an unspoken invitation. Riku sat down next to him, trying to meet the other's eyes - but the blue orbs just stared into the ocean, empty.

"Don't freak out," Roxas said. He still avoided any eye contact. "Sora tried to kill himself."

"What?" Riku was on his feet immediately, but Roxas tugged him back down. Maybe for the better. Riku's head was spinning so badly he had no idea where left and right was anymore. He would've fallen anyway.

"I said don't freak out. Don't worry, his condition is stable - he made it. Last time I saw him, he was munching a sandwich."

While those news did reassure him, he still felt worry, panic, confusion - all those emotions swirling around inside him to form a poison that paralyzed his body and mind.

"Why…?" He whispered. Roxas continued staring at the sea.

"I don't know. He didn't tell me anything. Only Vanitas knowns and probably Ven too. Because they are gross and together and stuff."

Even in his hazed state, Riku was able to pick up on the hurt in Roxas's voice. Was he upset that Sora wouldn't tell him? Or was he upset Vanitas and Ven left him out of the loop? Riku felt like asking was rude.

"I think it's your fault," Roxas said. Finally, he met Riku's eyes. "I was at Sora's a lot since you broke his heart. He's really been making an effort you know. And then you just go and date his other best friend, you dick."

This time, Riku's eyes darted away, shunning the contact. Roxas's eyes were fierce and furious, silent rage burning in them. It made shivers run down Riku's spine.

"You better fix this, Riku."

With no further words, Roxas stood up and patted the sand from his pants. He didn't even look back as he left.

\---

A week later, Riku felt a strange sense of dread as he approached the hospital, a maybe way too big Meow Wow plush clutched in his arms. What if Vanitas was there and threw him out of a window? Or pushed him down the stairs? Sliced him open with a scalpel? Why could he actually imagine Vanitas doing all those things?

One more deep breath and he went in. He had to talk to Sora. At least to part on better terms than they did. If it made Sora happy, Riku would throw all hope of reuniting as friends away.

As soon as he stepped into the building, everything he did was on autopilot. Asking on the counter and walking through the seemingly endless white hallways. Checking each door for a number until he found the one he was looking for. Softly knocking on it.

It was then when panic struck. What was he supposed to say? He really wanted Sora to stay in his life, despite his earlier resolve. He wanted to spend time with his best friend again. What if Sora didn't even want to see him? What if they argued and parted on even worse terms? What if-

The door opened. Riku stared at blue eyes. They stared back at him like they were scanning his very soul. Riku gulped, his hands starting to get sweaty. He started to fumble with his jacket, eyes darting back and forth rapidly. Finally, the blue eyes turned away.

"Vani, let's go get some food." A voice from the inside of the room called.

"But…"

"Brother, you've been here all day. You need to take care of yourself. I can hear your stomach grumbling…"

A short silence. "Alright. I'll be back right away, okay, Sora?"

"Alright." Shuffling. Footsteps. Riku stepped away from the door.

The door opened and Vanitas and Ventus left the room. Vanitas didn't even look into his direction, much to Riku's relief. He didn't know if he could face him after what happened in the school courtyard.

Ventus, however, turned to look at him briefly - gave him a slight wink - and led Vanitas into the other direction, whispering something Riku couldn't hear. Vanitas just nodded along. The ground seemed very interesting to him, as he kept staring at it. Riku held his breath, only sighing in relief when they turned the corner and we're out of eyesight. He turned to the door again. He knocked a little louder this time. One deep breath and he opened the door.

"Vanitas? I thought you went to get food. Also, you don't need to knock…" Sora's sentence trailed off as he got a look at the person entering his room. His eyes widened in shock.

Riku really didn't know what to do or say. "I just want to talk," he blurted out. "But I'll leave if you don't want me here." Great. What a way to start this conversation. Sora will just confirm he didn't want Riku here and send him out.

"No, no. Uh…. You can sit down I guess?" Riku did. He sat down on one of the stools next to the bed Sora was in. He looked small, frail, weak in the big bed. His face was pale and his hair looked dull and the usual spunk of it was also missing. He looked exhausted.

God, Riku did this to him. He made Sora cry, he made him hurt. He was an awful friend, wasn't he?

"I'm sorry," Riku blurted, his voice overlapping with Sora's who had said the same thing. They looked at each other in wonder.

Sora was the first one to crack a smile - he didn't laugh like he would usually do if something like this happened. But Sora's slight smile was enough to make Riku smile back at him. Sora's smile had always been so radiant.

"We're idiots," Sora said. "Especially me."

Riku shook his head. "No…" he started to protest, but Sora signaled him that he still wanted to speak.

"You know, Vani cried buckets. He doesn't even want to leave here because he's so scared. Ven is the only thing keeping him going right now." A humorless chuckle. "...I didn't even think about he would feel if I…" Sora trailed off, staring at his hands. Riku offered his own, which was examined by the brunette before he took it, squeezing it lightly. Despite how pale Sora looked, his hand was still as warm as it always used to be.

"I was selfish. I didn't even think about how everyone would feel. It was just me, always me. When you and Kairi started dating, I only thought about how it made feel hurt. Not about how you would be happy together. Not a single thought." Sora stopped for a second as if to collect his thoughts and look for the right words. Riku waited patiently.

"When I tried… you know, I didn't think about how everyone would feel. Look," Sora gestured to the table adjacent to the bed. It was full of little presents, stuffed animals, flowers, balloons and cards inscribed with the letters "Get Well Soon", books and board games. "Aqua and Terra almost got me an entire flower shop I feel like. Well, they do have one, so maybe that's the point." He laughs  
It's not how warm how it used to be, but it was a laugh. "Lea and Isa got me all those fun games and balloons. When they entered to visit me, I didn't even see Lea behind all of those balloons! They said they were so happy I was here to play games with them. I think they lost on purpose, though. And the cards are from all of my extended family and classmates or teachers. I don't even know how they know about what happened. Maybe Naminé plappered! She and Xion got me all those cute stuffed animals for my collection. I think I now have every Meow Wow plush there is!"

Sora looked right at him. Riku tried to fight the instinct to look away and looked right back at him. Sora squeezed his hand again.

"And now you're here too. Even though I ignored you all the time, you still visit me. You got me a gigantic Meow Wow!" Sora started sniffing. Worried, Riku opened his mouth - but no sound left it as he stared into Sora's radiant smile, his hands which Riku was not clutching moving to wipe his tears away.

"Can I… still call myself your friend? After all I did?"

Riku breath hitched. Before he knew, tears were sliding down his cheeks as well. "Sora… of course! You never stopped being my friend. You were going through a lot and needed some space. I understand. I'm sorry as well. For not considering how you'd feel if I started dating. And… not talking to you about stuff."

"I'm sorry," Sora cried. "I'm sorry! For shutting you out! For being stupid and trying to die! I won't be this stupid ever again!"

"You're not stupid, Sora!" Riku protested with a shaking voice.

And Sora laughed and cried at the same time which made Riku laugh and cry at the same time, so they laughed and cried together, hands still firmly clasped together. They didn't notice the door opening and falling shut again after a few moments.

\---

While things certainly weren't perfect afterward, they looked better. Sora made an effort to hang out and talk with Riku again (though everything happened under Vanitas's eagle gaze). He still avoided Kairi, which saddened her immensely, but Riku acted as a mediator between them. Weeks came and go, bad days and good days in between and they slowly started inching back into their trio status, even though interactions between Kairi and Sora we're still distant and weird. Vanitas continued watching them like a hawk, but they didn't mind most of the time. On good days, they even invited him to hang out with them. Sometimes, when they were not arguing, Ventus was also with him which also more often than not meant that Roxas was with them and with him Xion and Naminé.

Summer approached and Riku found himself sitting across of Vanitas while they waited for Sora to finish fixing something for them in the kitchen. He had stressed it was something top-secret and closed the door behind him. Roxas had rolled his eyes and opened the door to the kitchen again, entering despite Sora's whining. He was merciful enough to close it again, however.

The tension in the air was weird - Riku didn't know what to say to Vanitas. They never hung out like this, just the two of them, no, never. Riku just wasn't sure if he could approach Vanitas after the courtyard punch, plus they were never that close anyway. Sora was pretty much the only reason why they interacted. 

There were small sounds from the kitchen - Roxas occasionally groaning, Sora giggling, rummaging, the clink of metal against metal. Yet, the living room was so silent Riku could swear he heard the tiny spider, which was crawling up the wall behind Vanitas. He felt Vanitas staring, his golden eyes boring and drilling. As they always did. It didn't make Riku feel as uneasy when Sora was around.

"I'm sorry," Vanitas suddenly said. Riku flinched, surprised by the sound of the other's voice. It took another second until he finally realized what Vanitas had said, which made him stare at the older boy, eyebrows raised in obvious disbelief. Vanitas looked a little ashamed at Riku's surprise. His ears were tinted in a bright red and he hid his face with his hands. If it only were possible, then Riku's eyebrows would rise higher.

"Look. Riku. About that day I punched you-"

"You're still thinking about that?" Riku blurted out before he can stop himself, eyes widening in realization at what he just did. "Uh, sorry, continue."

Vanitas didn't seem to mind. "I'm sorry about that," he continued. "I was. Distraught? Uhm… I wasn't in my right mind…" Riku knew what he felt. The paralysis that had set on his mind after he understood what happened to Sora blocked him from doing things for days. The thoughts on how it might be his fault were constantly badgering him. He was angry at himself, wanted to punch himself, feel some kind of punishment. What Vanitas did came closest to it.

"Don't worry. It's all water under the bridge. You don't need to explain yourself. I understand. Maybe I would've reacted the same way even. We both just want Sora to be better and happy, right? We're on the same team. There's no need to hold grudges." Vanitas visibly deflated at Riku's words, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Thanks," he said. "I'm glad you were there for Sora." Riku tried his best to smile, but it still felt weird to him to smile on command. Vanitas seemed to notice his poor attempt, grinning at him. The grin was short-lived however, as Vanitas immediately sobered up and frowned at the table.

"I have one more favor to ask of you," he murmured. Riku was barely able to catch it. Vanitas looked up to meet his eyes. 

"I'm going to move away after graduation," he whispered. Riku's eyes widened.

"I need you to stay at Sora's side while I'm gone. I know it's selfish," Vanitas ran through his messy hair with a hand, sighing. "But I need to get out of here. And I trust you and Roxas and Kairi enough to leave him here with you." How curious of him to leave out Ven.

"Please." Never in his life had Riku heard such a heartfelt plea from Vanitas.

"Of course. I'll stay with Sora. I won't ever let him go again," Riku promised earnestly. Vanitas smiled, he didn't grin, no, he smiled softly, eyes brimming with happiness. Riku had never seen him like this. He actually didn't look that much different from Sora when he smiled like that.

"Thank you," Vanitas whispered. Riku wanted to say more, but Sora and Roxas chose this moment to storm back into the living room, snacks ready. Immediately picking up on the weird atmosphere, Sora looked between them, tilting his head. 

"Is something wrong?" He asked, but Vanitas only shook his head, motioning the still standing two to sit down.

"I wanna try those super top-secret snacks you did! You kept us waiting for far too long, so I expect greatness!" He said, boastful and teasing. Vanitas was a pretty good actor.

\---

Sora took Vanitas moving away surprisingly well. He didn't relapse, to everyone's relief and had a cute little calendar from Aqua in which he marked everyday Vanitas had planned to visit. They spoke to each other over the phone and texted all the time. Sora admitted to missing him, a lot even, but knowing his brother was out there, moving to be happy made him happy as well. He had smiled so radiantly after that - Riku had to close his eyes for a second. He told Vanitas over text (they became pretty good friends after the dinner table confrontation) and he got a few smirking emojis, leaving much room for interpretation.

If someone took Vanitas moving badly, it was Ventus. Nobody, not even Roxas, knew why, but Ventus got angry if one even mentioned Vanitas's name in his presence. Sora seemed very bothered by it, Riku supposed he wanted one of his best friends and his brother to get along. It was probably a bad break up again, worse than usual for sure, but not so dramatic they needed to do something. Ventus will calm down eventually.

Roxas, weirdly enough, was almost as moody as his brother, lashing out more than usual. His anger seemed to be exclusively directed at Ventus however, especially if it was about Vanitas. Roxas seemed adamant about defending him against his brother's harsh words - even though Riku and Sora agreed it was probably futile and they needed Ven to calm down.

Ven never took Roxas siding against him well, so they continued to argue and whatever they were doing before Vanitas came up was completely ruined. Sora called it "walking on eggshells". Whenever they were all together, the friends avoided bringing up Vanitas at all costs - only when they were gone, or rather, Ven was gone, Sora gushed about how well Vanitas seemed and how happy he looked and sounded over call.

For almost half a year Ventus got mad and snippy at the mention of Vanitas - until he couldn't anymore. Things were going well with Sora, almost too well. His "bad days" as Riku and Kairi dubbed them were getting less and less in frequency and intensity. Sometimes it did take a cheer up call from Vanitas or a day of chilling together doing nothing, but Sora seemed better. Riku knew relapses were a part of the recovery, but with how good things seemed, he just hoped it wouldn't happen at all - a foolish hope.

When Ventus died, Sora fell apart. Riku and Kairi tried to be there for him, but he barely talked and only listened, staring at the distance. They knew he must've felt grief, they did too. Though they did not know Ventus as well as Sora did, they did consider him a friend. But they were not mindreaders - they could never really know how exactly he felt. Sora lived like he was a robot on autopilot and it didn't just worry Riku and Kairi, but everyone in their little friend group. They tried talking to him, but Sora closed off and only gave short answers. 

"Give him some time," Aqua had said when Riku had expressed his worries to her. "Maybe he just needs some space. Have his mind catch up with… Ven's death." She looked so pained herself as she said it, Riku didn't dare to ask her for more advice. He had forgotten how close the older woman was with Ven.

Riku considered calling Vanitas for help - but the evening he was about to call he remembered Aqua's sad face, voice laced with pain and eyes glassy. During his little phone text exchanges with Vanitas, it became clear to him that Vanitas still loved Ven. He always asked about him, wanted to know if he was well and what he was doing, if he was happy. If Ven was happy in Riku's answer, Vanitas also sounded happier.

It was selfish of him to ask for advice when Vanitas must be dealing with his own pain. With that thought, Riku put his phone away and laid down on his bed, thinking about what to do tomorrow.

\---

Sora's mind caught up with the events on a Sunday. Riku had dropped by without telling him, Sora's parents letting him enter without much thought. He approached Sora's room and knocked, starting to open the door. He stopped however when he heard Sora talking with someone. His voice was silent and he sat on the ground with his back to Riku, but he was able to catch it. Sora was crying. He wailed about how unfair it was and how he wished he had known how Ventus felt so he could have helped him like everyone helped him, how Ven was always there for him, but he wasn't there for Ven. Riku stepped into the room swiftly and pulled his friend close for a hug, Sora immediately clinging onto him, burying his face into his neck and fingers twisting the fabric on the back of his shirt. Riku held him for hours, sometimes whispering comforting words. He started crying too at some point.

Sora passed out crying somewhere close to 10 p.m. Riku, reluctant to leave him but also needing to get ready for school the next day, tucked him in and left the Hart family residence. He had a hard time falling asleep, worried about Sora and was dead tired the next day. Sora was in school, to his surprise, seemingly broken out of his haze. He was almost too aware of the things happening around him. Whenever someone mentioned Ventus in the hallways, he slumped. Whenever someone looked at him, he didn't continue to stare at nothingness, he looked away. Riku supposed it was better than it was before.

Sora didn't remember him being there on that Sunday, but Riku didn't see the need on insisting on it. He was painfully aware that he was treating Sora like glass - but Sora either didn't mind or didn't notice. Or maybe, he just didn't see the difference as to how it was before. Riku had been interacting with him more carefully after…

"Ventus was such a loser. I'd kill myself too if I was him."

Riku's head had never whipped around this fast - as he would admit later not towards where the voice came from, but towards his best friend who was walking next to him. True to his fears, Sora looked like he was trying to roll into himself, hunched and shaking.

Then, he started sobbing. And Riku saw red.

"What did you say, asshole?!" The boy in question turned around to meet his face. Riku noticed him flinching when he did - Well, Riku wasn't able to look at his own face without a mirror so he had no idea how exactly he looked.

"Uhm well…" The boy stuttered, taking a few steps back. Every time he took a step backward, Riku took a step forward so the distance between them stayed the same. Soon enough, the other had his back against the wall, staring up at Riku in fear.

"How dare you," Riku snarled at him, loud enough that everyone in the hallway, as silent as a graveyard, could still hear his cold voice, sharp enough it could cut the heavy tension in the room. "How dare you say that about Ven."

The boy raised both of his hands. "L-look man, I'm sorry, okay? I just… I just wasn't thinking okay?"

This person made Sora cry. And that was his reason? His excuse?

"You're awful. You're the lowest of low scum," Riku spat and raised his balled fist, ready to strike.

"Riku stop." Kairi's voice came out of nowhere. She was standing next to Sora, rubbing his back soothingly and letting him cry on her shoulder. Riku had no idea when she got to the scene, but there she was, glaring at him with a defiant gaze. "Punching this idiot will not solve anything."

She was right. Instead of going after the guy, he should've tried to help Sora. He should have… considered his friend's feelings more.

He lowered his fist and turned to walk back to Sora's side. Together, the two friends let him away, but the tension in the hallway stayed, even after they had long gone. People were more mindful when they brought up Ventus now.

\---

Roxas was back in school sooner than they thought. The talk about Ventus had died down mostly thanks to the hallway scene. Riku still wasn't sure _how_ scary he had looked, but he supposed it must've been very scary, as he was the new talk of the school. Some people made a whole new joke out of this thing, referring to Ventus as "you-know-who" whispering how speaking his name would get you killed by a scary demon. Understandably, Riku was not amused about it and that stopped pretty fast as well.

Roxas looked happy. Riku knew better than to just assume everything was okay from that, but he genuinely enjoyed the blond's presence now. Of course, he had bad days and sometimes, a wrong word could completely shut him off. But he was less aggressive, almost serene, calm. He still tended to brood a lot but paid a lot more attention to his friends when they approached him while he was thinking. He just paid… a little more attention to his friends in general. Xion and Naminé were pretty much attached to him at this point (because they were worried about him) but even though Roxas used to hate clinginess, he didn't tell them to stop or anything the like. No, he seemed to enjoy their constant presence. Everyone's constant presence. He brought a day planner and whenever someone wanted to hang out, he looked into it and scheduled a day they could both make it. He divided his time carefully between all of his friends. One day he was out with Lea (very rarely Isa, too), the next day he was watching some movies with Xion, the day after that visiting a museum with Naminé, the next day baking with Kairi (and sometimes Riku). Roxas evolved into a social butterfly - a sudden change, but not unwelcome. Riku suspected he was trying to distract himself from the empty presence at home. Ven and Roxas did everything together. Except for visiting Sora. It was a mystery to Riku, but only one twin at a time visited Sora - mostly Ventus, Vanitas had said. He looked like he knew more but didn't tell, and Riku knew better than to press.

Sometimes, it felt weird to see Roxas without Ventus walking right next to him. But that thought was quickly forgotten as soon as they laughed together - Riku was a little ashamed, but he had to admit he was not that close to Ven, so maybe, his grief wasn't as deep as Roxas's or Aqua's or Vanitas's. Or even Sora's.

Riku was pretty sure Roxas kept keeping a day free just for Sora, but Sora never approached him. Sora watched Roxas with hawkeyes from the distance, following his every step and movement as if to look for a mistake. It reminded Riku of Vanitas and the fact that they were related, something some tended to forget because of how different they were.

"A new ice cream shop opened pretty close to here," Xion said. They were at lunch at their usual table, Naminé, Roxas, and Xion sitting across of him, Kairi and Sora. Sora's food looked untouched and there was slight worry at the back of Riku's mind, as he knew Sora's stomach usually was an endless pit.

"I heard their ice cream is great!"

Roxas looked thoughtful. "Maybe we should visit sometimes," he said. Xion looked so surprised by his words, Riku could almost feel it himself.

"You're kidding! Maybe? We have to visit! You used to love ice cream, how can you say no to this?" She exclaimed. Riku laughed, but Sora, for some reason, hunched more into himself. Riku was about to ask him what was wrong when Roxas spoke again.

"Maybe I'm growing out of it," he said. Again, Xion and Naminé looked surprised. Riku knew he didn't know Roxas that well but was that really such a weird thing to say?

"Huh. If you say so," Xion answered, her sentence rushed as if she was nervous. Roxas noticed the sudden (and also obvious) shift in atmosphere and looked around, confused.

"So about graduation," Kairi interjected before things could turn bad.

"Y-yeah!" Naminé immediately jumped on board. "You're really popular, Kairi, Riku! I think you could be Prom Queen and King…"

Riku immediately picked up on the awkwardness of the situation, with Sora sitting right between them. So did Roxas apparently, who death glared his friend until she got it too. "Oh, sorry…" Naminé said and bit her lips, looking embarrassed.

"So…" Kairi said. Leave it to Kairi to get them out of those weird conversation holes. "While we're at the topic of prom," she raised her eyebrows at Roxas, who raised his back. "You're a popular single guy, Rox. Ever thought about your date?"

Roxas laughed. "I thought about inviting someone."

The way both Naminé and Xion's eyes widened at that statement was almost comical. Riku didn't know how he never picked up on the fact that both of them liked Roxas. He might be more oblivious than he thought.

"Tell me!" Xion demanded, almost sounding desperate. To her surprise - and probably everyone's on that table - Roxas leaned down to whisper in her ear. She blushed and leaned closer towards him. Naminé looked outraged. _As an outsider, this scene is actually pretty funny,_ Riku mused.

Roxas whispered something in Xion's ear, and her eyes widened. At first, she looked a little shocked - then she laughed and giggled. "That's so sweet, Rox!" She exclaimed, nodding in approval.

Naminé shoved Roxas. "Tell me too!" She demanded, but Roxas just shoved her back with a grin. Naminé shoved him again, and soon, they were shoving each other back and forth, smiling widely. Roxas fixed his hair and ate a little, a quick reminder to everyone that it was lunch break.

Riku was about to eat the last few bits of his lunch when suddenly, two hands slammed down on the table. Riku dropped his fork in surprise. Everyone looked up at Sora, who had jumped up and was breathing heavily. Nobody was saying a thing. Riku was holding his breath.

"Are you okay?" Roxas's surprisingly soft voice broke through the silence. He reached out for Sora, but Sora, eyes glazing over, slapped it away.

"Don't touch me!"

The brunette's eyes widened as if he just realized what he did. And then he bolted. It took Riku about 20 seconds to process the scene and then he finally jumped up and started to follow his best friend. Again, he was painfully reminded that Sora was the faster runner out of them - he was nowhere to be found.

With a mind clouded with worry, he had to give up his chase and resort to texts and calls once again, silence being his only answer.

\---

It was reminiscent of when Sora shut him out after the confession. Sora stayed home for a few days and Riku really wanted to give him space to sort his mind, but by the weekend he became worried. So he went to visit Sora to check up on him - Kairi was busy with something so he went alone.

Vanitas had slammed the door into his face countless times, but Riku wasn't really expecting to do it today. First of all, he didn't know Vanitas was back. To be fair, there has been radio silence between the two of them - but only because Riku didn't know how to approach about Ven's death. Second of all, he thought he was getting along better with Sora's brother.

"He's sick and doesn't want to see anyone," Vanitas shouted through the door. Riku could hear his steps as he ventured further back into the Hart family house.

"Wait, Vanitas!" He called, but for naught. He supposed he had to settle for visiting some other time when Vanitas wasn't in such a foul mood or waiting for Sora to come back to school.

He started to head home, dejected when his phone suddenly rang. He would never admit this to anyone, but never in his life had he fumbled for it this fast - his heart beating wildly when he picked up.

"Hello?" He asked.

_"Riku! It's me, Kairi!"_ Why did he feel so disappointed?

_"My plans got canceled so we can visit Sora together after all!"_

Riku groaned. "Forget it. I was just there and Vanitas shut me out. Sora is sick and doesn't want to see anyone."

There was a short silence from the other end. _"Vanitas is back?"_ Kairi asked. 

"Yeah. And he's in a bad mood."

_"Oh. I guess it can't be helped then. Well, now that we're both free, why not spend some time together? Meet you at the diner close to Sora's?"_ He might as well meet with her, now that he can't visit Sora.

"Yeah sure. See you."

The walk to the diner should be relaxing, but instead, Riku felt growing fear. Why was Vanitas mad at him again? Did he do something wrong? Was Sora okay? What if he finally fucked it up irreparably now? What if Sora would never talk to him again? What if-

"Hey, Riku! Over here!"

Riku looked up from the ground. At first, he was not able to spot anyone, but when he looked behind him, there she was - Kairi, waving at him, standing right in front of the diner.

"Jeez, Riku!" She laughed, smile wide. "Good job walking straight past where we wanted to meet!"

Riku looked around himself on wonder. Sure enough, he had walked past the diner without even noticing.

"Oh," he said, slightly embarrassed.

"Well don't stand there like an idiot! C'mon!" She took his hand in hers - he didn't know how long it had been since her soft fingers had intertwined with his. The warmth of her felt weird, unfamiliar.

She dragged him into the diner. Their usual window place was free, so they say down there, across from each other. Riku mused how weird it was to be here without Sora, who usually sat next to him, stuffing himself with fries and chicken nuggets. Now that he thought about it, he didn't think they ever visited this place without Sora.

"...ku? Earth to Riku?"

Riku jolted up to Kairi's hand waving in front of his face. She sighed. "Are you there yet?"

"Sorry. Spaced out." He cleared his throat, the tension radiating from Kairi making him nervous.

"What were you thinking about?" She asked, the smile on her face not quite reaching her cold eyes.

Riku decided to be honest.

"I'm just… worried about Sora."

Apparently, that was the wrong decision. Kairi didn't even bother to fake smile after his words, her soft lips forming a deep frown.

"It's always Sora with you, huh," she said, her voice not angry but disappointed and sad.

"I don't… understand?" Riku was pretty sure his confusion must have shown on his face, because just for a second, Kairi looked a little amused. She quickly got serious again however, smiling at the table. Again, it didn't reach her eyes.

"Ever since we had that falling out with Sora, he has been all you thought about. We always hang around as a trio. When he's not here, we talk about him. Can you tell me the last time you took me out? Just the two of us? Without Sora coming up? You always think about him. You always talk about him. Do you ever think about me anymore?"

"Yeah, but Sora was going through a hard phase and we needed to be there for him…!" Riku started to protest, but Kairi shook her head.

"You don't need to deny it, Riku. Even with Vanitas there now to take care of Sora, you're worried. Sora… he's the center of your universe." She met his eyes. They were glassy. God, he made another one of his friends cry. "I know that. It's obvious. I just wish you would stop leading me on."

Riku felt guilty crawling up his spine. Has he been leading her on? He liked her, he really did. But she was right. He didn't even notice, but he and Kairi had rarely spent time together as two recently. And they did talk about Sora a lot. Riku couldn't help it, like Kairi said, his mind was filled with thoughts about his best friend - prominently worry. But just continued to prove her point. He had unconsciously pushed Kairi back into the role of the supportive friend she used to be before they started going out.

"Kairi…"

She shook her head once more.

"You don't need to say anything. Your face tells me all," Kairi said. 

"Let's break up Riku. Even if you liked me," she stood up, looking down with him with one more sad smile. "You need to sort out your feelings. You need to… decide."

Like Kairi said, there were no words needed. Riku knew she was right. 

She left the diner, officially single.

Riku groaned. What was he supposed to do now?

\---

Riku spent the next week mourning his relationship. He was listless and just didn't want to do anything. He only listened to conversations half-heartedly. Even Sora's return didn't pull him out of his down phase. He barely even noticed Sora distancing himself from all of them, especially Roxas who he avoided like the plague. His thoughts were solely focused on Kairi, who hung out with Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka because she needed some space from him.

It was weird like that, he mused. When he needed to pay attention to Kairi, he was thinking about Sora only. When Sora needed him the most, he thought about Kairi.

The truth of that didn't hit him until he got a sudden call while he was mulling at home alone. He fished for his phone, limbs moving as slow as the limbs of a sloth would. A quick glance at the caller ID surprised him - Vanitas. Ever since the day Vanitas had refused to let him see Sora, there has not been a single interaction between them. It felt painfully awkward to get a call all of the sudden, but Riku did not see any reason to reject the call. If Vanitas called him it had to have a reason right?

"This is Riku," he said when he picked up. For a second, there was only silence from the other end. Riku sighed. "Look Vanitas, if you called me to-"

_"Oh? Uhm. This isn't Vanitas. It's me, Roxas. I'm using his phone."_

Riku blinked in surprise. Why would Roxas have Vanitas's phone? They weren't that close.

_"Vanitas is in too much distraught to call… yeah! Just a sec!"_ There was some rustling. _"I'm gonna cut right to the chase - is Sora with you?"_

"No…" Riku answered. He supposed Roxas would have his reasons. "Why are you asking, did something happen?"

More rustling. Someone was screaming. _"Sora isn't home yet and Vanitas is worried."_

A quick glance at his clock told Riku that it was a quarter past midnight - Sora wasn't good at staying up long and always fell asleep early. Knowing that he wasn't home yet filled Riku with worry as well.

"I'll tell my parents. We'll help search," Riku said, almost a little too quickly. He heard Roxas breathe a sigh of relief. 

_"Thanks. I'm gonna tell Vani. I'm sure he'll be happy about any help. Getting back to you soon, I'm gonna try calling a few other people. Don't worry, I'll tell you when we find him."_

_Vani._ Nobody was even allowed to call Vanitas like that. Only Sora and Ventus got away with it, but Riku's mind had more important things to pick up upon.

"Mom! Dad!" He shouted while rumbling down the stairs. Once he explained the situation to them, all three of them took off - armed with only a flashlight and their phones.

Riku didn't know how long they were looking, shouting Sora's name. It was pitch-black outside, only stars illuminating the night sky as it was a new moon. What Riku did know is that more and more people joined in on the search. He was sure he saw Aqua and Terra at some point even, who must've driven over from the other end of the city. Everyone came to search for Sora - even the police came and asked them questions. They looked and looked and looked, but there was no grace of Sora. Once again, he had left Riku in the dust.

It was starting to dawn when Vanitas almost collapsed. He was stubborn and insisted he was fine and that they should continue to look for his little brother, but everyone knew better. They were all was tired. It was obvious from the way Aqua leaned against Terra, or the way Lea slouched even more than usual, or the way Roxas kept yawning loudly.

"You can all go rest. I will look for him myself!" Vanitas insisted.

"Honey, you need to rest as well," Mrs. Hart said softly, but Vanitas shook his head, stumbling forward. 

"I'm gonna… find him. I'm…" Again, Vanitas fell. This time, it was Mr. Hart who caught him, starting to lift his son, ignoring the weak protests.

"I'll carry you home, Vanitas. You are obviously too tired to carry on," Mr. Hart spoke, making Vanitas squirm in his hold. The older man clearly struggled to carry his adult son, especially with the resistance from him. Riku wondered if they had to knock Vanitas out for his own good, but then Roxas stepped up.

"C'mon Vani," Roxas said. Maybe everyone was too tired to notice. "Let's rest and leave it to the police for now. We'll continue searching later."

"But…"

"We'll find him. Don't worry. But you need to sleep, Vani."

Vanitas's face softened and he looked at Roxas, who gave him a slight, encouraging smile. Finally, the older boy relented and he let his father carry him away, seemingly deflating immediately. It was like all of his strength left him suddenly.

Riku had only once seen Vanitas so vulnerable. Back then, on the schoolyard, right after Sora attempted… to kill himself. Back then, it has been Ventus who had calmed Vanitas. For some reason, seeing Roxas do the same thing for the raven-haired male seemed weird. Almost out of character.

\---

Sora was not found. It was like he disappeared off the face of the earth. Even weeks after his disappearance, not a single clue appeared. 

Vanitas fell apart. He was more aggressive, more destructive than he had been as a teenager. It didn't take long for him to be fired, and he had trouble finding a new job due to his building reputation as a troublemaker. His parents tried their best to help him - but he refused, blaming everyone and the world for Sora's disappearance. The only person who seemed to have some control over him was Roxas. Whenever Roxas was close to him, Vanitas softened, just like he did for Sora… and Ventus. 

Riku had known for a while but didn't felt like it was his place to tell. Nobody could call Vanitas _Vani_ unless he was smitten with them.

Of course, he had a few concerns - you simply couldn't ignore that Roxas looked exactly like Vanitas's dead ex. Again, Riku didn't feel like butting into their relationship. It was none of his business. And they looked pretty happy with each other. In fact, Riku was pretty sure Roxas was the only thing that kept Vanitas grounded right now.

He didn't know if anyone else of the friend group knew. Honestly, most of them walked on eggshells around Roxas anyway, fearing the loss of his best friend on top of the death of his twin brother would destroy him. 

But just like Roxas kept Vanitas grounded, Vanitas seemed to help Roxas get over his grief. Or maybe, both of them were still in denial and believed that Sora was still alive, out there somewhere.

Riku had given up after the first week. Sora disappeared but took nothing with him. So he probably didn't run away. There was no clue he was kidnapped. There wasn't a single clue at all. Riku came up with the solution that Sora must have had a bad relapse and left to die - most of his days were now spent with sitting on the beach alone, waiting for maybe a body to reach the shore. So he could say goodbye.

Days felt endless and yet flew by, and never once did Sora reach the shore Riku waited on. School was a chore and he couldn't wait for it to end so he could go to the beach - ignoring the attempts of his friends to talk to him. He wasn't even sure if they were his friend anymore. Ven's death had split them apart, and now Sora's disappearance had put an endless pit between all of them.

The girls still spent time together, but Riku knew Xion and Naminé were low-key arguing about Roxas, clueless to his relationship to Vanitas - Kairi spent more and more time with Lea and Isa - ever since Ven died, contact with Terra and Aqua died too and he… well, he was alone. He honestly didn't feel like interacting anyway.

"Hey, Riku." He slowly turned around.

Kairi was there, in a pretty pink dress and white sandals, radiant as ever. After they split up, Kairi bloomed into the most beautiful women in the entire school - just more confirmation Riku was holding her back.

"Not even gonna get a hi? Jeez."

She sat down next to him, following his gaze towards the empty blue sea. "You have a prom date yet?" She asked. Oh yeah. He forgot that was coming up.

"No," he said, choosing to look at the sea instead of her face. The sand beneath his fingers felt soft.

"Are you planning on asking someone?" She continued to ask him. Riku didn't know if she was looking at him or not. He was staring straight ahead.

"...no," he repeated. She sighed.

"I'm going with Hayner," she said. She paused as if to wait for a reaction out of him. "He asked me and he was so sweet about it. I couldn't say no."

"...that's great," Riku said, and he honestly did feel happy for her. But he also felt awful. Like he missed his chance. Like he fucked everything up. Like he ruined his possible path to happiness.

"I really liked you," he confessed. It took all of his courage to look her into the eyes. Even after everything that had happened, Kairi's eyes still shined with kindness and care. That hadn't changed at least.

"But you loved him," Kairi continued for him, smiling at him sadly one more time.

"Yeah. I did." Their eyes drifted to the ocean at the same time. Riku felt tears run down his cheeks. He didn't bother wiping them away, instead listening to the soft crashing of the waves and Kairi's agonized sobs.

\---

He went to prom with Naminé - Roxas had rejected both her and Xion and they just decided to go as friends. Riku initially didn't even want to go to Prom, but Kairi, who he had become closer with again after the beach talk they had, convinced him to show his face at least. So he went there, in arm with Naminé - met up with Kairi and Hayner, Xion and some boy he never even met (looks like he got lucky and asked her after she got rejected by Roxas) and they just enjoyed their evening together. Riku had fun. He danced with Kairi and Naminé. Talked with Hayner. Found a new friend in Xion's date. They took photos. Kairi regretted eating one or many snacks too much. Naminé insisted on dancing the Can-Can randomly.

All of them were aware that Roxas had skipped out on Prom, seemingly. But no one said anything. They weren't here to obsess about Roxas after all, they were here to have fun.

Hayner maybe drunk one too many. He was stumbling on leaning on Kairi. Or maybe. He was doing it on purpose. Riku couldn't tell. Maybe he had too much to drink as well. He was definitely dancing a little worse than he did before...

In the end, Xion and her date became Prom Queen and King. The poor guy looked so happy, Riku couldn't help but to cheer for him.

His mind felt free.

_This is what Sora would've wanted, right?_

\---

All hell broke loose when Lea learned about Vanitas and Roxas's relationship. Riku didn't even know who told him, but Lea knew one day, slammed his hands on the table they were sitting on and looked at Roxas, who raised an eyebrow at him.

"You and Vanitas-" he started.

Riku didn't realize how high eyebrows could go up until now.

"Vani and I," Roxas repeated.

"He's out dating you because you look like Ventus!"

God.

That's why Riku had avoided butting into their relationship.

There was just no way to describe how furious Roxas got - Riku was stunned. He had seen Roxas angry before, but this had been a whole new level. The entire diner had been silent while Roxas whispered in a hateful voice: 

_"You don't understand anything. You never did. You can go ahead and mind your own business while I spend time with my friends."_

Riku felt like everyone was holding their breaths. Lea had a fiery personality as well and everyone feared the possible explosiveness of this situation. Even the people who didn't know Lea and Roxas felt it. Riku could see it on their faces.

"I just want-"

"What's best for you?" Roxas finished his sentence, mocking. A dark look passed Lea's face. Riku was already standing, ready to pull them apart if they started fighting - but to his surprise, Lea just whirled around, sending one last glare towards Roxas.

"You're gonna get hurt, Rox. I'm serious, you think dating your twin brother's ex is a good idea? Ventus is all that bastard ever cared about!"

Roxas glared back. "I don't need to justify what I'm doing to you," he snarled.

The entire diner was silent as the door slammed shut. Soft background noises where everything you could hear for a short while.

"Are...are you really dating Vanitas?" Naminé suddenly asked. And Roxas glared. He glared so hard, Riku was sure he'd be dead all over if looks could kill.

"I do. Do you have a problem with that?"

Kairi, the lifesaver, put herself between Naminé and Roxas. "I think it's a bad idea too," she said, not backing down when Roxas snarled at her.

...Riku had been expecting her to defuse the situation, not make it more explosive.

For a while, all they did was stare at each other, as if it was a contest, but then Roxas jumped up and ran out of the diner, slamming the door just like Lea did. Even after they left, the tension stayed.

Roxas never hung out with them again. Riku suspected he spent most of his time with Vanitas. They saw him at graduation, briefly - and then he disappeared, just like Sora did. With the single difference that Vanitas disappeared alongside him, including pretty much their entire belongings and Vanitas's car.

Riku believed they made a new life together - and despite the others disagreeing with their relationship, he wished them happiness.

Sora would've liked them to be happy.

His life continued, despite most of his friends leaving. Only Kairi always stayed right by him, while he did the same for her. They never explicitly became a couple again, but the rest of their life was spent together.

Days felt endless, yet they fleeted by. The star sky on the beach always stayed the same. Riku felt okay.

**Author's Note:**

> There will be one last part from Vanitas's perspective. It will give insight about everything that happened between the twins, I promise, haha.


End file.
